1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to magnetostrictive alloys, devices and methods and, more specifically, to magnetostrictive materials, devices and methods using rugged magnetostrictive alloys.
2. Description of the Background Art
With the emergence of smart material technology, a need has arisen for rugged, inexpensive, highly magnetostrictive materials that have the ability to transduce large energies under high compressive stresses. Common metals, such as iron, numerous iron-alloys and steels, possess good mechanical properties and the ability to withstand shock environments, but have very low magnetostrictions (˜10−5 to ˜104), with many alloys having magnetostrictions near the lower value. Terfenol-D, various high magnetostriction rare earth-Fe2 compounds, and single crystals of modified cobalt ferrite possess huge magnetostrictions (>10−3) at room temperature, but are, in general, brittle and unable to withstand appreciable tensile stresses. To fill the gap between these materials, attempts have been made to synthesize magnetostrictive composites using highly magnetostrictive Co ferrite or rare earth-Fe2 with some type of binder.